The purpose in this peer review was to provide my colleague Charles with the necessary positive criticism needed for him to improve upon his already impressive definition assignment. I provided Charles with some pointers, such as providing a concluding statement to avoid an abrupt ending, and I hope they provided some insight and helped propel his assignment even further.
To: Charles Wang
From: William Jackson
Date: June 5, 2021
Peer Review / Term: Cognitive Reframing
Hi Charles! Thank you for submitting the definition assignment for lesson 1.3. Your assignment was well drawn out and truly a though provoking piece. I have some comments on your work that I hope you view as valuable!
First Impressions
The assignment looks very pleasant at first glance. The visual looks great and really helps your definition, your explanations look like they are good lengths, titles are well organized and everything is correctly labelled.
Organization
- Bold, clear headings are placed nicely so the reader has an easy time jumping from one definition to another.
- Reading situation set up all three definitions very well.
- Visual is clearly labelled as ‘Figure 1’ and has a detailed description of what it is.
- Perhaps a bit of an abrupt ending. A small paragraph to conclude and tie up your thoughts and points on “cognitive reframing” may be useful.
Expression
The tone in your assignment is very professional and concise. It is very simple and well put, which made it easy for the reader to follow along with your thoughts and comments. It was a pleasant read.
Setting
Overall, the explanation of the term “cognitive reframing” was very well put. However, in your sentence definition you stated cognitive reframing was a “Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Technique. As a non-technical reader myself, it would have been helpful in your definition had you explained what this was. It was clear that cognitive reframing was a type of CBT that made people rethink their given situations, but knowing more about what CBT techniques are and maybe some other examples of them would have given your definition some extra substance.
Expanded Definition
- Visual linked up well with the definition itself.
- Offers a sort of setting to place the word behind with the explication of “frames” and “perspectives” that we as people share. This was very useful in grasping the term as a concept.
- The COVID example was tremendously useful. This modern example showed the different ways people can think about a relatable event, and how our term (cognitive reframing) can effect our behaviors and emotions.
Visual
The visual provided was a great choice to accompany your expanded definition. I find when writing a definition or when attempting to explain a term to a non-technical reader, simplicity is the best tool to use. This visual is the embodiment of simplicity being able to explain complex terms.
Grammar/Typos
Overall, the assignment was very well written. The only grammar issue I noticed was in the last paragraph of the piece where in two sentences you used colons where you should have used a period or a semicolon. Colons are used to show something following, like a quotation, example or list, whereas semicolons are used to join two thoughts that can form one sentence. I would advise changing these colons to either semicolons or periods to show that you are mentioning independent thoughts that stand together.
Concluding Comments
Your definitions are interesting to read, well organized with a professional tone. As a non-technical reader on the subject matter, it was intriguing to read and I feel I have walked away with some new knowledge. The following are some suggestions on some minor edits to strengthen your assignment perhaps further:
- A concluding paragraph to avoid an abrupt ending to the assignment.
- A deeper explanation to what CBT Techniques are, perhaps mentioning other techniques to provide some more background to your definition.
- Minor grammar changes in the concluding paragraph.
Thank you for your assignment, it has been a pleasure reviewing your work. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding my comments. Cheers.